China launches $3.5 million food aid project to support drought-stricken Zambia
The launch ceremony for the Zambia Food Aid Project, funded by China through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund in partnership with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), took place on Monday in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.
China contributed $3.5 million to help Zambia purchase approximately 5,641 metric tonnes of maize locally, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
The grain will be distributed over three months to 188,057 beneficiaries — around 37,000 households — in the most drought-affected districts of Southern and Western Provinces.
The handover event was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Han Jing, Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango, embassy officials, government representatives, and officials from the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) and the WFP, the program’s implementing partners.
Han highlighted that the food assistance program strengthens the strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Zambia, emphasizing the enduring friendship established by the countries’ founding leaders and fostered by successive generations. He described the initiative as a new model of partnership, integrating bilateral aid into a broader multilateral framework and reflecting China’s proactive role within the United Nations system.
Since its inception, the fund has supported over 190 projects in more than 60 countries, collaborating with over 20 international organizations to benefit more than 30 million people in areas such as food security, healthcare, maternal and child health, and vocational training. Han reiterated China’s commitment to mobilizing resources to support Zambia’s development.
Vice President Nalumango expressed gratitude for China’s timely support, noting that the assistance significantly alleviates hardship for drought-stricken communities. She stated that Zambia continues to implement its drought response and food security plans, highlighting that approximately 9.9 million people across 84 of the country’s 116 districts have been affected.
Li Shuyin, deputy director general of CICETE, reaffirmed China’s dedication to efficiently managing food aid projects in Africa, noting CICETE’s oversight of the program in Zambia. Byenkya Kabasuuga, WFP representative and country director for Zambia, emphasized that local maize purchases will not only feed affected populations but also strengthen market linkages and increase incomes for smallholder farmers, describing the project as a collaborative effort promoting sustainable outcomes and shared commitments.
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